Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Lunchtime Ennui

The sun shines through a gap in the mapleAfter days of cloud and intermittent rain,Arenberg Castle, her tiled roofs and high gableAppears, as if in a dream,Reflected in the limpid waters of a stream.

Ochre brick and black slate,Onion-domed turrets surmountThe North and South tower.A golden eagle, the family coat of armsIs all that remains ofThe local seat of power.

These days it’s Kasteelpark Arenberg,Home to Science and Engineering, KU Leuven.Look closely, and you might findTweed coat, elbow patch,Frizzled hair untamed,An academicDeep in thought and lost in timeIn the mullioned windows framed.

Stepped-gables and gothic balconiesLook out over the manicured lawnsSquawking wildly, amongst bushes of roseThere’s a waddling goose-trainOut for their post-prandial stroll.

Lovers lie on the green,Bodies entwined, hands in folds private,Each the other’s world entire.Equally oblivious, magpies hop about,They dig out tufts of grassAs they hunt for their little worms.

A path through the hedgerows,Care-worn flagstones,Centuries of thoroughfare.It once saw horse and stage-coachPalace intrigue, a duel or two.Witness today to traffic mundane,Harried students, rickety bikesAnd the occasional Great Dane.

The castle sits in a forest of birch50 feet tall, green below, red on topStreamers of ivy along their sides,They cast soothing shadows dappledOver the long, straight bike route,A family of ducks in the Djile alongside,Mum, dad, hatchlings nine.